Tuesday, June 30, 2015

If you like to watch:"Islands are Different" and "Shorelines: Connecting Land & Salmon"
The San Juan Preservation Trust enlisted Jim Toomey, a marine conservationist and creator of the internationally-syndicated comic strip “Sherman’s Lagoon”, to help answer the question: what does protecting land have to do with salmon? The result: two short, entertaining videos.

Legislature approves budget that cuts tuition, funds state worker raises
State lawmakers have approved a new two-year spending plan that will cut college tuition, give teachers cost-of-living raises and help satisfy a court order that the state fully fund public schools. The state Senate passed the $38.2 billion budget Monday evening on a 38-10 vote, and the state House approved the spending plan shortly afterward, 90-8. Lawmakers were racing to pass the budget to avoid a partial shutdown of state government Wednesday. The measure now goes to the desk of Gov. Jay Inslee, who must sign it by the end of the day Tuesday to avoid lapses in state services and temporary layoffs of state workers. Melissa Santos and Jordan Schrader report. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Trudeau open to LNG ships on northern B.C. coast
Federal Liberal leader Justin Trudeau said Monday his mind is closed to oil tankers plying the waters of northern B.C. but open to shipping of liquefied natural gas as well as increased oil tanker traffic through Port Metro Vancouver — on the condition proper reviews are conducted. In an interview with The Vancouver Sun, Trudeau said that the Harper Conservative government could have saved everyone a lot of time and trouble by nixing the Enbridge Northern Gateway project, emphasizing “the Great Bear Rainforest is not a place for an oil pipeline.” Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Coal plant operator says Colstrip remains profitable for now
The formation of a new company to run Montana's largest power plant has raised questions among analysts and plant detractors about how long it can keep going, as pollution control costs rise and coal's share of the electricity market crumbles. The plant's new operator has an answer: There are no plans to shut down the 2,100-megawatt Colstrip Steam Electric Station. Matthew Brown reports. (Associated Press)

Supreme Court: EPA erred in rule on toxic emissions from power plants
The Supreme Court dealt a major blow Monday to the Obama administration’s efforts to keep toxic mercury out of the nation’s air and waterways, saying U.S. officials failed to properly consider economic costs when they imposed expensive pollution controls on coal-burning power plants. The court, in a 5-to-4 decision, halted further implementation of the 2011 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards rule, the Environmental Protection Agency’s landmark regulation that required electric utilities to reduce mercury pollution, linked in multiple studies to respiratory illnesses as well as birth defects and developmental problems in children. The decision’s ultimate impact on pollution controls was uncertain. The justices declined to strike down the rule altogether and left open the possibility that the regulation could be altered and reinstated. Moreover, a sizable majority of the country’s coal-burning utilities already have taken steps to meet the EPA’s requirements, muting the decision’s practical effects, at least in the near term. Joby Warrick and Robert Barnes report. (Washington Post)

PAC wants to pay to put plastic bag ban on Lacey ballot
Will Lacey take the money? That’s the question facing Lacey City Council after a local group called on the council last Thursday to support their cause. The group, a political action committee called the Effective Self-Governance Association of Thurston County, is prepared to write a check to the city for $2,500 to pay to get a city plastic bag ban before voters this November. After the representative made her pitch Thursday night, Councilman Jason Hearn made a motion to accept the money and to put the issue on the fall ballot. His motion won support from Councilman Lenny Greenstein, but Mayor Andy Ryder quickly put the brakes on the discussion, saying it would be an unprecedented move for the city to take the money. Rolf Boone reports. (Olympian)

Navy stealthily targets Hood Canal development
The U.S. Navy has quietly restricted development across thousands of acres of water and land near Hood Canal in western Puget Sound. Last year, in the name of national security, the Navy may have gone too far. Will Drabold reports. (Seattle Times)

Harvesting geoducks is lucrative, but it's also brutally hard work
The sound of labored breathing crackles over the radio aboard the fishing boat Rawdeal on an overcast morning in late May. Anchored about 100 yards off the eastern coastline of Whidbey Island, within sight of the Clinton ferry landing, the crew on the 26-foot aluminum fishing boat is after geoduck. The giant clams, which grow wild in the Pacific Northwest, are pound for pound the most-valuable seafood being harvested from Puget Sound today. Ian Terry reports. (Everett Herald)

Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund gets tangled in politics
Two members of the Washington’s congressional delegation — Reps. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, and Dave Reichert, R-Auburn — are expressing confidence that the Land and Water Conservation Fund will be reauthorized. But with so many dollars on the line for conservation purposes, many supporters are growing nervous about when it will happen and what the final bill will look like. After all, what could possibly go wrong in a Congress famous for getting nothing done, with less than 100 days left to go before the law expires? Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Humpback whale entanglement an international problem
Four humpback whales have been found entangled in fishing gear in the last two weeks, with one near Powell River effectively "hog-tied" and anchored to the ocean floor, says Fisheries and Oceans Canada. "It was amazing how wrapped up it was. The tail had significant wraps, loose rope and ends all over. Then it was actually up, underneath the body, through the mouth three times," said Paul Cottrell, Marine Mammals Coordinator, and lead whale disentangler for Fisheries and Oceans Canada. (CBC)

Lawmakers reach deal on gas tax increase, transportation funding
State lawmakers have reached a deal to raise the gas tax to pay for highway improvements, with leaders from both parties saying they’re optimistic lawmakers will approve a package by Tuesday. Gov. Jay Inslee said Sunday that he would accept a deal even if it restricts his ability to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions from gasoline and diesel fuel — wiping out the biggest point of contention on the highway and mass-transit package. Jordan Schrader and Melissa Santos report. (Olympian)

Ecologist’s archive offers a glimpse of B.C. wilderness
A lifetime of material compiled by Ian McTaggart Cowan — known as the “father of Canadian ecology” — has found a home at the University of Victoria. McTaggart Cowan, who died in 2010 at the age of 99, came to Canada from Scotland with his family at age three and grew up in North Vancouver. He was UVic’s chancellor from 1979 to 1984, taught for 35 years at the University of B.C. and worked at what is now the Royal B.C. Museum. Jeff Bell reports. (Times Colonist)

If you like to watch:First Nations war-canoe races return to Victoria's harbour
The first war-canoe race in more than 100 years took place place Saturday in Victoria's Inner Harbour. Five First nations from across Vancouver Island kicked off the event with traditional dances and ceremonial blessings. (CBC)

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Friday, June 26, 2015

Enjoying the Weedy Buffet
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "I owe some thanks to a goldfinch for saving me some work the other day. I was taking a brief rest in the garden, planning to return to my weeding in a few moments. But then this natty little fellow came hopping along and caused me to change my plan. One item that had been on my to-do list was to clear away the many straggly patches of forget-me-not that were going to seed throughout our flower and veggie beds. But the goldfinch obviously viewed my messy weeds as a tasty opportunity, tucking into the seeds with gusto…."

Environment lawyers challenge B.C.'s Kinder Morgan pipeline conditions
British Columbia’s five conditions for approval of the proposed $5.4 billion Kinder Morgan pipeline won’t be addressed if the province isn’t involved in the process, says a lawyer representing an environmental group. Ecojustice lawyer Karen Campbell said Thursday that the conditions set out by Premier Christy Clark are invisible during the ongoing National Energy Board process that is considering environmental approval of the pipeline. Ecojustice, on behalf of Living Oceans Society, filed a motion with the NEB requesting B.C. answer questions relating to the five conditions and the Kinder Morgan project. The province elected earlier not to file any evidence with the NEB. Dirk Meissner reports. (Canadian Press)

Sightline Sues Obama Administration over Crude Oil Exports and Illegal Secrecy
If the oil industry gets its way, the US will soon begin exporting tankers full of American crude to overseas markets. Although such shipments are for the most part illegal today, the Obama Administration is quietly changing the rules to favor oil exporters. To shed some light on the government’s behavior, the environmental law firm Earthjustice filed a formal Freedom of Information Act request in February on Sightline’s behalf, but it was greeted only by stony silence. So today, Sightline Institute, represented again by Earthjustice, is suing the federal government. We are asking the Courts to force the Obama Administration to do what it was legally required to by March 11: release information about its secretive deals with oil exporters to the public. Eric de Place writes. (Sightline)

Railroads use new oil shipment rule to fight transparency
Railroads may have found a new weapon in their fight to keep information about oil train shipments from the public: a federal rule that was supposed to increase transparency. The U.S. Department of Transportation insists that its May 1 final rule on oil trains, which mostly addresses an outdated tank car design, does not support the railroads’ position, nor was it intended to leave anyone in the dark. But in recent court filings in Maryland, two major oil haulers have cited the department’s new rule to justify their argument that no one except emergency responders should know what routes the trains use or how many travel through each state during a given week. Curtis Tate reports. (McClatchy)

Petroleum producers court B.C. with new sales pitch
In an era of collapsed oil prices and suspended projects in Alberta’s oilsands, the industry’s key lobby group argues new pipelines to the West Coast are needed more than ever. And in a renewed sales pitch to British Columbians, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers promises it will talk less and listen more, starting with opening an office in Vancouver, said the organization’s CEO Tim McMillan. Derrick Penner reports. (Vancouver Sun)

If you dare to watch:Face of bizarre sea creature Hallucigenia revealed
Scientists finally have a complete picture of what one of nature's most bizarre animals looked like. The tiny sea creature - Hallucigenia - lived 500 million years ago, but all fossils appeared to be without heads. New specimens unearthed in Canada have revealed the missing part, revealing its strange face for the first time. Rebecca Morelle reports. (BBC)

Ban anglers from drought-stressed streams, groups urge
The provincial government is failing to protect B.C.’s prized game fish in the face of a drought crisis that threatens the survival of the very trout, steelhead and salmon upon which a billion-dollar freshwater fishing sector depends. First Nations, professional guides, angling associations and naturalists are all pleading with an apparently deaf province to close drought-stricken Vancouver Island streams to sport fishing until they can be replenished by winter rains. Stephen Hume reports. (Vancouver Sun)

UW researcher helping pinpoint massive harmful algal bloom
The bloom that began earlier this year and shut down several shellfish fisheries along the West Coast has grown into the largest and most severe in at least a decade. UW research analyst Anthony Odell left June 15 from Newport, Oregon, aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s research vessel Bell M. Shimada. He is part of a NOAA-led team of harmful algae experts who are surveying the extent of the patch and searching for “hot spots” — swirling eddies where previous research from the UW and NOAA shows the algae can grow and become toxic to marine animals and humans. Hannah Kickey and Michelle Ma reports. (UW Today) See also: Dungeness Crabbers Hit Hard By Algae Bloom On Washington Coast Ashley Ahearn reports. (KUOW)

Mom fights Shoreline School District about beaver and wins
The maintenance crew at Brookside Elementary in Lake Forest Park had a wildlife-removal firm set up traps to catch and kill a beaver at a creek by the school. Then they heard from moms and kids. The traps are gone. Erik Lacitis reports. (Seattle Times)

Skagit County officially puts end to Skagit River flood study
Skagit County will not invest any more money into the Skagit River General Investigation study. Skagit County officials say taxpayer money will be better spent on small-scale flood risk management projects, rather than on a study that has been 18 years and $14.4 million in the making and remains in the second of five phases. The county has paid half that cost, with the money coming from county, dike district, city and state Department of Ecology sources. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Conservation groups seek increased shoreline protections in Puget Sound
Three conservation groups on Wednesday petitioned the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to change how it regulates seawalls, bulkheads or other barriers to increase habitat protections along Puget Sound shorelines. Such concrete or rock structures prevent erosion and protect waterfront homes, but they also alter beaches and disrupt habitat for juvenile salmon, forage fish and other species. So Friends of San Juans, the Washington Environmental Council and Sound Action are asking the Corps’ Seattle District to use its authority to regulate so-called “shoreline armoring” projects in tidal areas. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

June plans a final weekend roast
The Puget Sound area is sizzling its way toward its warmest June on record, with weekend temperatures forecast to reach the low 90s. Jack Broom reports. (Seattle Times) See also: Hot weekend expected in Victoria; fire danger highThe wildfire danger has hit the “extreme” rating in parts of Greater Victoria, including Saanich, and is high on most of Vancouver Island amid dry, hot weather that’s expected to reach the high 20s by the weekend…. Environment Canada predicts Saturday will be the hottest day. It will be even hotter in Port Alberni, Nanaimo and Campbell River. Katie DeRosa reports. (Times Colonist)

Invasive species a threat in every corner of B.C.
Dozens of non-native invasive plants and animals are established in British Columbia, arriving on the wind, in nursery plants, soil and on improperly cleaned boats. Invasives are more than a nuisance, costing millions in crop losses, ruined infrastructure and threatening natural biodiversity, according to the Invasive Species Council of B.C. The federal government this week passed new regulations in the Aquatic Invasive Species Act granting new powers to border staff and creating a guideline for responding to infestations. Randy Shore reports. (Vancouver Sun) See also: Albertans warned not to flush 'invasive' goldfish (BBC)

B.C. government plans rare summer legislature session for LNG deal
The B.C. government plans to have a rare summer sitting of the legislature to pass law changes that would clear the way for a controversial LNG facility near Prince Rupert. Finance Minister Mike de Jong announced Tuesday the legislature will be recalled on July 13, to debate legislation that would enable the project agreement signed between B.C. and Pacific NorthWest LNG, which is owned in majority by Malaysia's Petronas. Last month, Premier Christy Clark announced the agreement in principle with the energy giant to build a terminal on Lelu Island, south of Prince Rupert, which Clark said would mean $36 billion investment for the province. (CBC) See also: Petronas agrees to conduct more studies on B.C. terminal’s impact (Globe and Mail)

Groups say Shell’s drilling plans don’t protect marine mammals
Environmental groups say that Shell’s plans for oil exploration this summer in the Chukchi Sea don’t comply with federal rules that seek to protect marine mammals. In a Tuesday letter to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, environmental groups said this represented a “fundamental flaw,” and that Shell should not be allowed to proceed with the summer drilling. The Interior Department’s 2013 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations prohibit the drilling of wells within 15 miles of each other to minimize the cumulative effects of oil exploration on the walrus. The two wells that Shell wants to drill this summer are about 9 miles apart. (Seattle Times)

Metro Vancouver fears rising use of garburators will strain sewage plants
As Metro Vancouver prepares to impose fines to stop the dumping of organic food waste in the garbage, officials at the regional district now worry too many residents and businesses will instead use garburators to send the problem down the drain. As a result, Metro planners are now considering a ban on the installation of new food waste grinders by restaurants and other businesses, and they're mulling how to keep households from using garburators that are already widespread in newer homes. Using in-sink disposals to grind up food and flush it down the drain is convenient for people and businesses who don't have organic waste pickup service or don't want to use it. Jeff Nagel reports. (Peace Arch News)

Saanich rules out potential sewage-treatment site on ALR land
A 12-hectare property on Watkiss Way adjacent to Victoria General Hospital won’t be sent to the Capital Regional District for consideration as a sewage-treatment site, despite the urging of proponents who say it has strong potential. The privately owned forested rural property, part of the Agricultural Land Reserve, had to be vetted by Saanich council to be placed on the CRD’s list of possible sites, said Ray Parks, representing owner Allen Vandekerhove. Council voted 5-4 Monday night not to send the proposal to the CRD. Jeff Bell reports. (Times Colonist)

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Farmers worry about harvest as stink bugs make a mess in NW region
On a hot June day, Joe Beaudoin ducked into the shade of his orchard to check for peaches with shallow dimples — the telltale signs left by the brown marmorated stink bug. This invader from Asia has a formidable appetite for the berries, tree fruits and vegetables that Beaudoin grows on his 80-acre farm. This spring, even before the trees sprouted all their leaves, the bug already had begun to pierce the tiny peaches to suck out juice. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Panel: Coal port would lift Whatcom economy
People at an invitation-only meeting hosted by pro-business groups on Monday, June 22, heard a message most of them agreed with. If the growth of Whatcom County’s post-recession economy is going to catch up to the rest of the state, it would help if a proposed 54 million-metric-ton export terminal for coal and other bulk goods was built at Cherry Point. That was the message during a panel discussion at the meeting held in Fox Hall at Hampton Inn…. U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Everett, one of the speakers at the luncheon, reiterated his support for Gateway Pacific Terminal, saying it was one solution to Whatcom’s weak employment numbers. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Burrard Inlet visited by killer whales, just in time for Aquarium app announcement
A pod of killer whales has been spotted in Burrard Inlet. The group of at least four orcas was first reported off the Stanley Park Seawall Monday morning, and has since been seen crossing back under the Lions Gate Bridge and out of the inlet. The black and white visitors came just as the Vancouver Aquarium announced a new smartphone app meant to help marine mammal scientists learn more about whales, dolphins and sea turtles on the B.C. coast. The B.C. Cetacean Sightings Network, an aquarium conservation program, launched its new WhaleReport app on Monday, allowing boaters and ecotourists to report sightings with the touch of a button. Users can view a species identification guide and then upload photos of the animal and automatically enter accurate GPS. Bethany Lindsay reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Project to move Squalicum Creek will help water quality
A $1.8 million project will re-route Squalicum Creek around Sunset Pond to improve water quality and otherwise make the creek more habitable for salmon and other wildlife. The project is expected to start July 6. It will put the creek into 5,100 feet of new stream channel to bypass Sunset Pond. Squalicum Creek doesn’t meet state standards for water quality and is listed as impaired by the Washington state Department of Ecology. Problems include fecal coliform bacteria, too-warm temperatures and dissolved oxygen levels that are inadequate. Declining salmon stocks also are a concern. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

B.C. ocean observation project useful for oil industry: report
A subsea observation system being built by Ocean Networks Canada at the University of Victoria lets Girl Guides explore the ocean floor and will let scientists detect underground earthquakes or predict tsunamis. The federal government has sunk more than $30-million into the project, and not just for pure science: An internal government document shows Ottawa is interested primarily because it can help “responsible resource development.” In particular, it says, information from the Smart Oceans project could support the development of pipelines linking the Alberta oil sands to the Pacific coast. Dene Moore reports. (Globe and Mail)

Feds Paying for Sewer Analysis of Pot Usage in Washington
The federal government is chipping in money for a three-year pilot study using sewage samples to determine levels of marijuana use in two Washington cities — research that could help answer some key questions about pot legalization, the University of Puget Sound announced Monday. The National Institutes of Health has agreed to pay $120,000 so Dan Burgard, an associate chemistry professor, can conduct a three-year study that will look at how per-capita pot use changed after Washington's first legal pot shops opened last July. The research, based on methods first developed by scientists in Italy in 2005, involves analyzing wastewater samples for levels of metabolites produced when the body processes drugs. Gene Johnson reports. (Associated Press)

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Monday, June 22, 2015

If you like to listen--The Longest Day of the Year
On the summer solstice, birds nesting near Juneau, Alaska take advantage of almost 18 1/2 hours between sunrise and sunset. This day in south Texas is considerably shorter, so the Altamira Oriole has only 14 hours to sing. Seattle's Song Sparrows see 16 hours of daylight; Sacramento's only 15. Birds nesting north of the Arctic Circle have six weeks with almost 24 hours of daylight every day. So this Lapland Longspur has a work-day that's about as long as it gets. (BirdNote)

25th anniversary of spotted owl listing: fewer owls, less timber industry
The heated debate over whether to curtail the logging of old-growth forests to protect the northern spotted owl was at full throttle when the federal government declared the bird a threatened species June 22, 1990. At the time, environmentalists worried that the federal plan would fall short of saving the spotted owl. Timber interests worried that a wave of environmental rules would gut the Olympic Peninsula’s wood-products industry and devastate communities. Twenty-five years later, the effects of the landmark decision can be seen in the reams of economic, industry and environmental data routinely gathered by state and federal governments. The outcomes are by turns expected, disheartening and surprising. George Erb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

District votes against pipeline plan
Add the District of North Vancouver to the list of communities that have formally opposed Kinder Morgan's application to twin the Trans Mountain pipeline to Burrard Inlet. District council passed a motion similar to ones passed by the councils in Burnaby and Vancouver, following a lengthy presentation from staff Monday night on the environmental, health and economic concerns raised by increased tanker traffic or a potential spill at Westridge Terminal. Brent Richter reports. (North Shore News)

Toxic algae bloom west of Island threatens salmon
A toxic algae bloom west of Vancouver Island has prompted shellfish harvest bans and may affect salmon stocks, federal scientists say.The bloom stretches along the Pacific coast from California to B.C., making it possibly the largest one on record in the area, scientists have said. Amy Smart reports. (Times Colonist)

Vancouver offers free sewage pump-out at civic marinas
In an effort to reduce high E. coli bacteria levels in English Bay the Vancouver park board is opening up the sewage pump-out stations at its two False Creek civic marinas to all boaters The pump-out stations at Burrard Civic and Heather Street marinas were free for marina members, but other boaters were charged a $10 fee to pump out their on-board sewage holding tanks. But on Friday at the launch of the board’s Clean Water Campaign, park board vice-chair Sarah Kirby-Yung announced that free pump out will be available to all pleasure boat users. Gerry Bellett reports. (Vancouver Sun)

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Friday, June 19, 2015

Increasing oil transport threatens orcas with extinction, Vancouver conference told
Increased transport of oil in the Salish Sea — including from the planned expansion of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline — is putting endangered southern resident killer whales at risk of extinction from a spill, a Washington state official said Thursday. Don Noviello, a biologist with the Washington department of fish and wildlife, said the worst-case scenario would be a spill occurring when three pods get together to form a “superpod” representing the majority of the estimated population of 80. “They’re on the brink and need all the protection they can get,” he told the Clean Pacific conference, a spill-prevention and response convention in Vancouver. “One ill-timed oil spill could be the event that pushes this population over the brink to extinction. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Battle Over New Oil Train Standards Pits Safety Against Cost
The federal government's new rules aimed at preventing explosive oil train derailments are sparking a backlash from all sides. The railroads, oil producers and shippers say some of the new safety requirements are unproven and too costly, yet some safety advocates and environmental groups say the regulations aren't strict enough and still leave too many people at risk. David Schaper reports. (NPR)

Environmentalist Group Plans To Protest Chambers Bay U.S. Open
….Besides the criticism about the actual layout of the golf course, much fodder has been drawn from the fact that freight trains run through the golf course on a popular route along the Puget Sound. Reports have stated that an average of 60 trains per day make their way through the course and will continue to do so at their usual rate throughout the duration of one of golf’s biggest tournaments. While this might be quirky of flat out funny for some, it’s troublesome and a major point of contention for others. The People’s Climate Action Fleet, an environmentalist group based in Seattle, Washington, have organized a protest, specifically targeting the trains that carry oil and other potentially damaging materials through the the area. The protest is scheduled to take place in the Puget Sound on Sunday, June 21. Bryan Altman repots. (CBS)

Sturgeon scientist battles huge fish in Fraser River to implant tracking device
You might call Erin Stoddard the surgeon to the sturgeon. The B.C. government biologist often finds himself chest deep in the mighty Fraser River, scalpel in hand, carrying out operations on live fish weighing hundreds of kilograms. It's all part of his job solving the mysteries of the province's largest freshwater sport fish. The white sturgeon and its relatives are remarkable survivors. They've endured 200 million years of global climate change and continue to eke out an existence in the face of serious modern day threats. Greg Rasmussen reports. (CBC)

Research on rockfish in Puget Sound reveals intriguing findings
Chris Dunagan writes; "This week’s announcement that the coastal population of canary rockfish had dramatically rebounded got me to wondering what new information might be coming from research on the threatened and endangered rockfish of Puget Sound. Dayv Lowry, research scientist at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, shared some intriguing new information about Puget Sound rockfish that could link into the coastal population. In fact, if limited genetic findings hold up, a delisting of one type of Puget Sound rockfish could be in order." (Watching Our Water Ways)

Now the westside: 20 potential sewage-plant sites selected
Twenty “technically feasible” sewage treatment sites on the westside were identified on Thursday by Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins and Colwood Mayor Carol Hamilton, who now want the public to weigh in on the options. The mix of private, public and First Nations properties includes two sites in Langford, 12 in Colwood, one in View Royal, four in Esquimalt and one on Esquimalt First Nations property. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Capital region’s goose cull a first — but probably not the last
This month’s planned cull of 250 resident Canada geese represents a first for Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, Capital Regional District directors have been told. But if some of them have their way, it won’t be the last. Some are so keen to clear Canada geese from parks and playing fields, they are willing to use gas tax grants to pay for culls. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Time for Buzzing Off
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "It seems quieter around our house than usual, and I think I know the reason: in the last day or two, Buzzy and the other adult male Rufous hummingbirds appear to have taken off on their southern journey. They’ll be heading over to the Rockies, where they’ll tank up on wildflower nectar, then on to Mexico – completing a 4000+ mile-long, clockwise circuit of the continent…"

Pope urges revolution to save Earth, fix ‘perverse’ economy
Pope Francis called Thursday for a bold cultural revolution to correct what he calls the “structurally perverse” economic system of the rich exploiting the poor that is turning Earth into an “immense pile of filth.” In a sweeping manifesto aimed at spurring action in U.N. climate negotiations, domestic politics and everyday life, Francis explains the science of global warming, which he blames on an unfair, fossil fuel-based industrial model that he says harms the poor most. Citing Scripture and past popes’ and bishops’ appeals, he urges people of all faiths and no faith to undergo an awakening to save God’s creation for future generations. It’s an indictment of big business and climate doubters alike. Nicole Winfield, Rachel Zoll and Seth Borenstein report. (Associated Press)

Starfish Are Still Disappearing From Northwest Waters
A couple of years ago, divers in Puget Sound began to notice something odd: Starfish were disappearing. The sea creatures would get sores and then melt into piles of mush. Sea star wasting syndrome is a gruesome disease and it spread to starfish all along the West Coast. Scientists still don’t know a lot about it. Katie Campbell, a reporter for EarthFix and KCTS9, says that although scientists have isolated the cause, the creatures continue to die. Katie Campbell and Isolde Raftery report. (EarthFix)

Greenpeace protesters confront Shell Arctic drilling rig off B.C. coast
Protests against Royal Dutch Shell's Arctic drilling program continued Wednesday, with Greenpeace activists confronting the drilling rig off the coast of B.C. on its trip north from Seattle, Wash. First Nations activist Audrey Siegl, who lives in Vancouver, wore traditional Musqueam regalia while drumming in front of the 90-metre tall rig, according to photos and video provided by Greenpeace. (CBC)

Washington state auctions deepwater quotas amid wider geoduck farming push
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources this month has auctioned 14 quotas for geoduck farming, theSeattle Globalist reported. The deepwater plots are on privately owned areas around Central Puget Sound, the Hood Canal and Hood Head East, the news outlet reported. The industry has also been attempting to increase harvests on private tidelands, and this year is the first time that state-owned lands will be leased for aquaculture, the news outlet reported. (Undercurrent News)

'Of Orcas and Men' review: Killer whales could teach us a few things
If you live in Seattle, you may be peripherally aware that a fellow form of intelligent life is somewhere out on Puget Sound, communicating away while dodging the ferries, freight ships and other maritime traffic. But you probably won't know much more about Orcinus orca than that. David Neiwert's passionate, informative "Of Orcas and Men: What Killer Whales Can Teach Us" fills some of the gaps. Michael Upchurch reviews. (Oregonian)

Orcas in Thurston County’s Eld Inlet getting hassled by boaters
Over the last few months, Kim Merriman has seen orcas frequently from her Eld Inlet home — and she’s also seen plenty of people crowding them. “People are excited to see the orcas, and when there’s one or two boats that’s a different story,” said Merriman, who’s lived on the inlet for 20 years. “But then there’s 10 or 15 or 20, and it gets hard for the (killer whales).” Boaters, kayakers and paddle boarders are effectively trapping the orcas in the inlet at times, or separating them. Merriman said this problem occurs nearly every weekend when the killer whales come to visit, since many people are out on the water. Natalie Deford reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Group documents intertidal life in preparation for Shannon Point restoration project
What is left exposed when the tide rolls out may not look like much more than damp sand and slimy rocks, but an abundance of sea life can be found there. Within about 2 1/2-square-feet of beach at Shannon Point on Wednesday, Michael Kyte and Pattie Hutchins found various types of marine life, including a sea star no more than 2 1/2 inches wide…. The Skagit Marine Resources Committee, under the Northwest Straits Foundation, plans to remove the riprap from along the beach. Made of large, granite boulders, the shoreline armoring stands out from the rest of the scenery. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU JUN 18 2015 TODAY W WIND 5 TO 15 KT RISING TO 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 2 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF
SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. TONIGHT W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Canary rockfish, petrale sole rebounding off West Coast
Populations of canary rockfish and petrale sole off the West Coast have rebounded from low levels and are now considered rebuilt, according to a statement released by the Pacific Fishery Management Council. The canary rockfish is a long-lived species that was declared overfished in 2000 and was not expected to be rebuilt until 2057. Fishery managers credit good ocean conditions and conservation efforts with a six-fold increase in the canary populations. The petrale sole was declared overfished in 2011, and its harvest limit was cut by half. It was rebuilt a year ahead of schedule, according to the council statement. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Pope Francis warns of destruction of Earth's ecosystem in leaked encyclical
Pope Francis will this week call for changes in lifestyles and energy consumption to avert the “unprecedented destruction of the ecosystem” before the end of this century, according to a leaked draft of a papal encyclical. In a document released by an Italian magazine on Monday, the pontiff will warn that failure to act would have “grave consequences for all of us”. Francis also called for a new global political authority tasked with “tackling … the reduction of pollution and the development of poor countries and regions”. His appeal echoed that of his predecessor, pope Benedict XVI, who in a 2009 encyclical proposed a kind of super-UN to deal with the world’s economic problems and injustices. Stephanie Kirchgaessner and John Hooper report. (Guardian) Leak of Pope’s Encyclical on Climate Change Hints at Tensions in Vatican Jim Yardley and Elisabetta Povoledojune report. (NY Times)

Prayer and Work: the life of a Benedictine nun on Shaw Island
On Shaw Island, the smallest and least populated San Juan Island reached by ferry, is Our Lady of the Rock, a monastery and self-sustaining farm. It's home to seven Benedictine nuns who wear the traditional, long black and white habit and spend much of their days tending to their 300 acres, raising animals and praying. Now let's clear one thing up straight away: these are not the nuns in the brown habits, and orange safety vests, who worked the ferry dock for 27 years. Those were the Franciscan nuns, and in 2004 the four remaining retired and left Shaw Island for Oregon. But Our Lady of the Rock, established in 1977, stands solid, despite the fact that the average age of the nuns is 70.Rachel Belle reports. (My Northwest/KIRO)

Shell-led B.C. LNG project nears environmental approval
A liquefied natural gas consortium led by Royal Dutch Shell PLC is expected to receive B.C. environmental approval within days as the group positions itself to be one of the first LNG exporters in the province. LNG Canada’s plans to export from Kitimat are being reviewed by two B.C. cabinet ministers, who are slated to announce by Monday whether they will grant a provincial environmental assessment certificate. Brent Jang reports. (Globe and Mail)

Cherry Point coal terminal study questions economic value
If a proposed coal terminal is built at Cherry Point, it could end up impeding the economy in Bellingham and Whatcom County, according to a new report commissioned by Communitywise Bellingham. The report got a warm reception during a presentation by one of its authors Tuesday, June 16, in the Leopold retirement home’s ballroom. It was not so well received by the proponents of the Gateway Pacific Terminal, who dismissed the report as biased “advocacy research.” Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Coal ports: Will they cost communities their “second paycheck”? …. Opponents tossed some new terminology on the table Tuesday — the term “Second Paycheck.” Its roots are in the region, having been coined by University of Oregon economist Ed Whitelaw and two colleagues five years ago. It was re-introduced by David Eichental, a managing director of PFM – a large national consultant based in Philadelphia – who conducted an economic impact study on the coal ports …. The term refers to quality of life amenities such as outdoor recreation, clean air and water, scenic vistas, local food and culture, and livable neighborhoods. These amount to a “paycheck” that can’t be cashed at your bank. However, they are so important to people that they accept lower-paying jobs or small, expensive living spaces in order to experience the benefits of a particular place. Floyd McKay reports. (Crosscut)

Green Activism Really Does Pay Off
In states with strong environmental movements, greenhouse gas emissions are inching lower. Social scientist Thomas Dietz and Kenneth Frank, professor of sociometrics at Michigan State University, have teamed up to find a way to tell if a state jumping on the environmental bandwagon can mitigate other human factors—such as population growth and economic affluence—that are known to hurt the environment. Sue Nichols blogs. (Futurity)

Seattle Aquarium rides $1M wave of success in 24th-annual 'Splash!' fundraiser
Seattle Aquarium’s 24th-annual fundraiser made quite a splash, raising more than $1 million to help in the conservation of the marine environments of the waters of Puget Sound. Calling it a fundraising milestone, Seattle Aquarium President and CEO Bob Davidson thanked the more than 600 donors to the “Splash!” fundraiser for their support. Patti Payne reports. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

24 arrested trying to block Arctic oil rig's departure Activists formed a blockade of kayaks Monday around a terminal in this city's port to attempt keep an oil rig destined for Arctic waters from moving. Coast Guardsmen detained two dozen protesters because they violated the safety zone around the rig, a spokesman said. One was Seattle City Councilman Mike O'Brien. Seattle City Hall said O'Brien was booked and fined $250. He was later released. (Associated Press/USA Today) See also: Should the Puget Sound region allow more coal trains and terminals? Emily Parkhurst reports. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Toxic algae bloom might be largest ever
A team of federal biologists set out from Oregon Monday to survey what could be the largest toxic algae bloom ever recorded off the West Coast. The effects stretch from Central California to British Columbia, and possibly as far north as Alaska. Dangerous levels of the natural toxin domoic acid have shut down recreational and commercial shellfish harvests in Washington, Oregon and California this spring, including the lucrative Dungeness crab fishery off Washington’s southern coast and the state’s popular razor-clam season. At the same time, two other types of toxins rarely seen in combination are turning up in shellfish in Puget Sound and along the Washington coast, said Vera Trainer, manager of the Marine Microbes and Toxins Programs at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. Sandi Doughton reports. (Seattle Times)

'Fire Rainbows' dot the skies over Puget Sound region
The thin, wispy clouds floating around the Puget Sound region Monday usually do nothing more than give the blue skies a little bit of character. But today, they were giving the skies a little bit of color. We had a number of reports of rainbow arcs in the sky -- both in a circular halo around the sun and just lighting up some clouds near the horizon -- a circumhorizontal arc, otherwise known informally as "fire rainbows." Scott Sistek reports. (KOMO)

Oil spills on land to have provincial response team, says B.C. government
Plans are in the works to create a quicker, more coordinated response to land-based hazardous spills in British Columbia. Provincial Environment Minister Mary Polak says the province is working on creating an organization that will be able to immediately respond to all land-based spills with trained workers and proper equipment. The minister says the provincially certified, industry-funded organization will be able to take action even before authorities have identified who's responsible for the spill and its clean up. (Canadian Press)

Fuel spill in Vancouver's False Creek triggers cleanup
Coast guard officials now say as much as 5,000 litres of diesel fuel may have spilled into Vancouver's False Creek near Fisherman's Wharf on Sunday night. Original estimates had put the spill as large as 1,000 litres, but shortly after 10 a.m. PT, coast guard spokesman Jeff Brady revised the estimate to somewhere between 500 and 5,000 litres. The spill was first reported to the Canadian Coast Guard around 10:30 p.m. PT Sunday. (CBC)

Next up for sewage: Westside options considered
In two weeks, people will have another chance to weigh in and pare down a list of potential sites for at least secondary sewage treatment. Through public consultation involving about 2,000 people, a list of 47 potential sites on the east side of the region — in Victoria, Saanich and Oak Bay — was narrowed last week to 27. Of the remaining sites, 19 garnered a mixed level of support in public consultations and surveys, while eight had a high level of support. About half of those eight sites are in the Rock Bay area of Victoria. The remainder are located at Clover Point, coast guard land beside Ogden Point, University of Victoria lands, and a public works yard in Saanich. None is in Oak Bay. Cindy Harnett reports. (Times Colonist)

Drought Watch: Small Water Systems Could Run Dry
The major water utilities in the Puget Sound area are telling customers the water supply is in good shape for the drought. But for thousands who depend on springs or shallow wells, the outlook is not as certain. More than two-thirds of the state’s population is served by big water systems. Take Seattle, Tacoma and Everett – their utilities have saved plenty of water in their extensive reservoir and storage systems. They’ve asked customers to conserve, but haven’t recommended any extreme measures. But according to Ginny Stern, a hydrogeologist with the State Department of Health, for nearly 27,000 people statewide, it’s a different story. Monica Spain reports. (KPLU)

Port of Port Angeles’ schedule for KPly mill site cleanup advances; bids for project due July 8
The Port of Port Angeles may know by mid-July who will clean up the former KPly mill site — and how the contractor will do it. The port’s three commissioners Monday ratified their staff’s request for bids on the environmental project that’s expected to cost up to $5.4 million. Bidders will have their choice of methods to clean the 19-acre area on Marine Drive just west of downtown. James Casey reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Endangered Species Protections At Center Of Drought Debate
Travel up and down California farm country, the Central Valley, and you hardly hear people lamenting the lack of rain or how dry this past winter was. What you hear from the agriculture industry and many local and national politicians, are sentiments like those expressed by Rep. Devin Nunes: “Well, what I always like to say is that this is a man-made drought created by government,” the Central Valley Republican says. When he says “man-made” drought, he’s talking about court-ordered restrictions that have kept hundreds of millions of gallons of water in West Coast rivers and estuaries to protect endangered fish like the Delta smelt. Kirk Siegler reports. (NPR)

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Monday, June 15, 2015

Volunteers clean up local waterways
Saturday was a perfect day to be out on the water around Seattle and a local non-profit gave people the chance to boat and help the environment. The Puget Sound Keeper hosted their 12th annual "Summer Sweep," a chance for people to help get litter out of local waters. It was similar to a fishing trip but the group said thy were hoping they wouldn't find anything. Nearly 70 volunteers, on land and in kayaks, went through the waters of the Ship Canal, filling garbage bags with everything from cans to computer parts. Amy Moreno reports. (KING) See also: Neighborhood volunteers put some muscle into McKinley beautification project Debbie Cafazzo reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Oil Train Secrets: Fighting For Information In The Northwest
Dean Smith, 72, sits in his car by the tracks north of Seattle. It’s a dark, rainy Tuesday night, and Smith waits for an oil train to come through town. These trains are distinctive: A mile long, they haul 100 or so black, pill-shaped cars that each carry 30,000 gallons of crude oil. Smith has been monitoring train traffic in his community for about a year, noting each one on a website he built. He does it because the railroads share little information about oil train traffic with Washington state. They don’t have to because they’re federally regulated. Ashley Ahearn reports. (KUOW)

U.S. appeals court upholds Shell’s spill-response plans for Arctic drilling
Royal Dutch Shell won big on Thursday in its long running legal battle with environmental groups over the oil giant’s planned drilling in Arctic waters. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Interior Department’s approval of Shell’s oil-spill-response plans for operations in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas…. The three-judge federal panel split 2-1 in favor of Shell. The panel wrote that the National Environmental Policy Act did not apply to the Interior Department’s approval of Shell’s plans. As a result, no environmental-impact statement was needed. But Judge D.W. Nelson dissented, saying that the Interior Department’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement should have done an Endangered Species Act consultation as well as an environmental review. The Interior Department has approved Shell’s plans for this summer, although the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement still must sign off. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.Com)

Jane Fonda drops in to lend support to Greenpeace’s fight against pipelines and oil tankers
Jane Fonda is best known as a two-time Oscar winning actress and a longtime anti-establishment activist, earning the nickname Hanoi Jane for her opposition to the Vietnam War. She showed up unannounced in Vancouver Friday to lend support to Greenpeace’s fight against pipelines, oil tankers and a perceived plan by Shell Oil to move its fleet up the coast from Seattle to drill for oil in the Alaskan sea. Yvonne Zacharias reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Friends gets $100K grant to boost shipping safety
Washington Women’s Foundation recently awarded a $100,000 grant to the Friends of the San Juans to increase shipping safety standards in the Salish Sea…. To reduce the risks posed by increases in fossil fuel exports, Friends of the San Juans will lead a trans-boundary effort in Washington and in B.C. to designate the Salish Sea as a "Particularly Sensitive Sea Area" under the International Maritime Organization. Designation as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area is a tool that the global community can adopt for an area that needs special protection because of significance for recognized ecological, socioeconomic or scientific reasons and because it may be vulnerable to damage by international shipping activities. Worldwide, there are 14 PSSAs worldwide, two within the U.S., in Hawaii and in the Florida Keys. (San Juan Journal)

Petronas gets environmental road map for Pacific NorthWest LNG
The federal fisheries department has provided a road map for Pacific NorthWest LNG to follow to reduce the project’s environmental impact in British Columbia. Plans to export liquefied natural gas from Lelu Island must place a high priority on protecting juvenile salmon habitat in an area with eelgrass called Flora Bank, said Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The department made its recommendations in a report in late May to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA), which is reviewing the project filed by the LNG group led by Malaysia’s state-owned Petronas. Brent Jang reports. (Globe and Mail)

Tulalips welcome first king salmon
The longhouse on the shores of Tulalip Bay echoed with drums and voices and filled with the smoke of twin cedar fires as members of the Tulalip Tribes marked the start of salmon season Saturday. The annual Tulalip Salmon Ceremony is when the tribes honor the first king salmon of the season, bless the fishermen that will work the tribal fisheries and welcome guests from as far away as Alaska and Colorado to a traditional feast. Chris Winters reports. (Everett Herald)

Salmon project set to proceed on Smith Island near Everett
A massive earth-moving project to transform low-lying farmland along the Snohomish River delta into salmon habitat could break ground in August, after more than a decade of preparation. Snohomish County’s Smith Island project would flood about 350 acres now protected by dikes. State and federal agencies consider it a vital piece of the strategy to revive Chinook salmon stocks in Puget Sound. They have supplied grants to cover most of the $26 million cost. The county’s Public Works Department is accepting bids this month from contractors to perform the bulk of heavy construction. Noah Haglund reports. (Everett Herald)

Large influx of pink salmon this summer in Puget Sound
his summer’s salmon fisheries are expected to be splendid, with millions of pink salmon flooding into Puget Sound and a strong return of kings off the coast. Anglers will be blushing with joy as a run of more than 6.8-million pink salmon — which return only during odd-numbered years — will create plenty of show-stopping moments in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound. Mark Yuasa reports. (Seattle Times)

‘The Western Flyer’: a fishing boat’s boom-and-bust history
University of Washington professor Kevin Bailey chronicles the fishing vessel made famous by John Steinbeck in “The Log from the Sea of Cortez,” as it has followed the boom and bust cycles of fisheries all around the Pacific. David B. Williams reviews. (Seattle Times)

The buoys are back: Undersea instruments help predict salmon runs
Olympic Coast Marine Sanctuary scientists have sunk 10 monitors beneath the waves to take water temperatures at various depths along the 135-mile-long protected shore. Sure, they understand the ocean is chilly. What they want to learn is if it's cold enough — specifically, does the water rising shoreward from the cold depths to the surface bring sufficient nutrients to supply the food chain that allows salmon and other creatures to thrive? James Casey reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Mushrooms Help Clean Up Pollution On Former Landfill Site
On a former landfill site in Northeast Portland, a white rot fungus has taken hold – and that's a good thing. It's a mushroom known for its ability to clean up water pollution. Leaders with the Dharma Rain Zen Center are growing mushrooms to clean up the water running off their 13 acres of the former LaVelle Landfill, where a new Buddhist community center is in the works. The landfill was once a rock quarry, and it was used to dump the construction debris leftover after building I-84 and I-205 in the 1970s. As that waste deteriorates, the landfill has released methane gas and various pollutants into the soil and groundwater. Cassandra Profita reports. (EarthFix)

Newborn orca calf spotted near Tofino
A new transient orca calf was sighted in the waters off Tofino, B.C. earlier this week. John Forde of the Tofino Whale Centre and Strawberry Isle Marine Research Centre says the calf appears to have been born this week inside Clayoquot Sound. He says a group of transient orcas were seen entering the area Tuesday and on Wednesday, one of the females was seen swimming with a newborn calf. (CBC)

About Me

Salish Sea Communications provides communications and public relations services that raise visibility and engage audiences. Drawing on over 30 years experience in private, public and not-for-profit work, Mike Sato brings to you his skills and insights in developing and carrying out your print, electronic and social media projects and products. "I've been in the communications business since 1977 starting with community weekly newspapers then working for Seattle City Light, the Puget Sound Water Quality Authority, Hawaiian Electric Company and, for 20 years, People For Puget Sound." Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told. WA State UBI #601395482